Church Planting Movements

A High-Caste Heart Won for Jesus

Jul 9, 2025 | South Asia, Stories

Sharma* was a devout high-caste Hindu, deeply offended that a lower-caste couple in his village hosted gatherings to worship Jesus in their home. Determined to stop them, he rallied the entire neighborhood to oppose them. Despite the pressure and hostility, the couple and their friends continued to meet faithfully.

One day, the couple approached Sharma and gently asked, “Why are you so opposed to us?”

“I’m a high-caste Hindu,” Sharma replied coldly. “I don’t want you or your religion in my village.”

“You haven’t even gotten to know us,” the wife said. “If you see how we live and what we do, then you can judge for yourself.”

“I can’t enter a lower-caste home—it would defile me,” he retorted.

“Then sit outside,” they offered kindly. “We’ll give you a chair by the door so you can observe.”

Reluctantly, Sharma accepted. He watched from the doorway. But when the gathering ended, something had shifted in his heart. The anger was gone—replaced by curiosity and unexpected respect.

The following week, Sharma returned, this time with his wife. Again, they sat just outside the door. During the meeting, his wife mentioned pain in her knee and asked for prayer. The group prayed—and her pain disappeared. Later, the story of Jesus’ crucifixion was shared. Sharma and his wife had never heard of a God who would suffer and die for His people.

After everyone else had left, they stayed behind, eager to learn more.

Six weeks later, Sharma and his wife were baptized, along with seven other families they had brought with them—107 people in total!

Reflecting on his journey, Sharma says, “I used to treat the disciples so badly, but they always responded with grace. Now I will share the Word with others, just like they shared with me.”

*pseudonym

POISONED FOR MAKING IMPACT
Nadal served in Rishikesh alongside a local leader and comes from the saphera (snake charmer) caste. …. read more

WHEN PERSECUTION BECOMES CELEBRATION
In the 2001 persecution, one group of believers received threats that they would be forced to reconvert … read more

BREAKING BARRIERS WITH THE GOSPEL
Sharitha* was the house helper of movement catalysts Ethan* and Nicole* while they lived in India. …read more

One Miracle Sparks Third Generation Growth

Jun 30, 2025 | South Asia, Stories

Raj*, a facilitator of a Discovery Bible Study group, was deeply concerned when his 12-year-old son, Adi*, became gravely ill. Desperate for help, Raj asked Nuh, a disciple-maker, to pray for Adi’s healing. Adi miraculously recovered. Encouraged by this, Nuh told Raj that he too could pray—with confidence—for his own children and others in need.

About a month later, Raj visited his brother-in-law, Adhesh*, in a nearby village. There, he encountered a woman named Dhani*, who had suffered for 25 years from a debilitating illness and was tormented by a demon. The demon often threw her into the fires she used for cooking, leaving painful burn marks on her hands and feet.

Moved with compassion and strengthened in faith, Raj prayed for Dhani. God miraculously healed her and delivered her from the demon! This powerful experience deepened Raj’s faith and gave him greater confidence to walk in the authority Jesus had given him, as Nuh had explained to him.

Dhani’s husband was overwhelmed with gratitude and said, “Because Jesus healed my wife, we want to live our lives at His feet. We want to learn more about Him and hear more stories of Jesus.” As a result, God’s name was honored in that village.

This miracle opened the door for Raj to begin Discovery Bible Study groups with 17 families in Dhani’s village. These families are now listening to Bible stories—from Creation to Christ—and learning what it means to be true followers of Jesus.

The ripple effect didn’t stop there. Inspired by what God had done, other families from Dhani’s village visited a nearby village to share the testimony. That visit sparked the start of six more Discovery groups—third-generation growth! When ordinary people step into the authority Jesus gives (Matthew 10:1), they feel empowered to obey all of His commands.

Please pray for Raj, for Dhani’s village, and for the neighboring families who are hearing this good news. May the story of Dhani’s healing spread with the same power and urgency as the Samaritan woman’s testimony about the Messiah she met at the well.

*pseudonym

A Journey From Darkness to Light

Jun 11, 2025 | South Asia, Stories

*Chakir and his family met *Nuh, who is serving in South Asia, when he visited their village. During his visit, Nuh shared the good news of Jesus and invited Chakir to start a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) group with his family. When Chakir learned that the stories of Jesus were available in their own language, he eagerly agreed. Nuh provided them with an MP3 speaker containing the newly translated Scriptures, taught them how to use it, and promised to return for follow-up in a few weeks.

When Nuh returned to Chakir’s village, he was met with great joy. Chakir and his family couldn’t wait to share how their lives had been transformed by listening to the stories. They realized these weren’t just stories—they were the words of the Living God. Inspired by what they had learned, Chakir, his wife, and his children took bold steps of faith.

They removed the amulets they had worn for protection, broke down the temple in their home, and discarded the idols they once worshiped. They also renounced the black magic and witchcraft practices common in Hindu households in their village. These actions were public declarations of their newfound faith, showing how powerless their former beliefs and rituals were compared to the Living God.

With joy and conviction, Chakir proudly proclaimed, “We are now followers of Jesus!”

Praise God for the miraculous transformation in Chakir and his family! Pray that they will remain steadfast in their faith, even when faced with challenges. Ask God to continue transforming their hearts and minds, drawing them closer to Him. Pray that Chakir will grow not only as a disciple but also as a disciple-maker, boldly sharing the truth he has discovered with others in his village and beyond.

*pseudonym

Eid Al Adha

Jun 4, 2025 | Festivals and Holidays

Every year Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha (June 6), the Feast of Sacrifice. It is considered to be one of the most significant holidays of the year and is celebrated for one to four days, depending on regional cultural norms. Eid al-Adha marks Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael, his son by Hagar. God, however, seeing Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, provided a ram to sacrifice in Ishmael’s place.

Muslim families remember Abraham’s willingness to serve God by slaughtering a costly animal — a sheep, goat, cow, or camel. The animal is divided into thirds; one-third is kept for one’s own family, one-third for friends and neighbors, and one-third is given to the poor.

Join us in prayer for Muslims during Eid al-Adha:

Ask God to show Muslims that He provided the ultimate sacrifice for us, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29b)
Pray that Muslims will understand Jesus’ sacrifice. “People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” (Romans 3:25b)
Pray the Good News of Jesus’ sacrifice will be joyfully shared among family, friends, and neighbors, producing a wave of new followers of Jesus Christ.

LEARN ABOUT OTHER FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS

VESAK
The celebration honors Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. Many believe that … LEARN MORE

THE NIGHT OF POWER
…the night when Mohammed is thought to have begun receiving the … LEARN MORE

THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS
… bright, powdered pigments that are a trademark of this festival… LEARN MORE

A 24 Year Answer to Prayer

Jun 4, 2025 | South East Asia, Stories

This inspiring story began 24 years ago, at the turn of the century, when *Scott, a mission catalyst, and his wife *Saeng, began training Southeast Asian leaders at 3-5 day border events in Thailand.

During one of these events, Scott met Pastor Som, a humble and deeply committed believer from a small district north of the capital city. Though uneducated, *Pastor Som embraced everything he learned and applied it with determination. In the following years, he planted several churches across his province, and for a time, church multiplication was thriving.

However, when the national church took control of these leadership trainings, the growth halted. The churches remained, but the rapid multiplication ceased.

More than a decade later, a leader named *Anuson from Southeast Asia was being trained by the national church. Recognizing his potential, the national leaders sent him to a Bible college in the Philippines. While Anuson grew personally from the experience, the principles he learned about church leadership in an open society did not translate well to his home context.

Upon his return, he attempted to apply his training, but the large gatherings he led drew unwanted attention. Eventually, he was arrested and put in prison for over a year.

Meanwhile, the national church leaders heard of a successful church multiplication model being used in Central Southeast Asia. Scott and his team introduced this model to the national leaders. During that pivotal meeting, the head of the national church declared, “From now on, all our leaders across the country will follow this model.” His commitment was firm, and Scott, along with a team of co-workers, was invited to train leaders from all over the country. This shift occurred seven years ago.

After Anuson’s release from prison, he connected with Pastor Som, who had resumed following the church multiplication model with the full support of the central church. Anuson learned this new approach from Som and returned to Southeast Asia, eager to put it into practice. Knowing Anuson’s passion for the model, Scott invited him to a training in Thailand, held in a village of the Bru people—the same ethnic background as Anuson.

The training deepened Anuson’s understanding of the multiplication strategy. Anuson and his team have now started 48 new discipleship groups, 13 of which have become fully functioning churches. At a training session, Scott spoke highly of Anuson, saying, “He’s a man known for his love for others and his strong life of prayer.” Meanwhile, Pastor Som has now seen the Christian population in his province grow from 1,000 to 2,000 believers.

We thank God that the national church embraced this new way of working, allowing many more people in Southeast Asia to hear the message of Jesus and choose to follow Him.

Join us in celebrating this 24-year answer to prayer: Pastor Som’s faithful multiplication of churches and leaders, and Anuson’s success in adapting the model to his unique setting, resulting in 48 new groups.

Please continue to pray for pastors Anuson and Som, that they would experience God’s favor and continue to train up new leaders. May every village in their provinces be home to a community of obedient disciples.

*pseudonym